Feature Article
Man's Search For Meaning
By Viktor E. Frankl
A Personal Introduction to Man's Search For Meaning
By Ryan Knighton
Two years ago I found myself walking the windy, grassy fields of Aushwitz-Birkenau, a concentration camp where several million people were exterminated. Prior to arriving for a tour of the camp, I expected a feeling of despair to settle over me as I learned about what took place there. I was, however, surprised; as I walked, thinking about the pain and suffering men, women, and children might have experienced at this camp, I felt a sense of hope. That feeling of hope aroused a curiosity within me. Why, when so much suffering took place here, would I feel hope rather than despair?
When I returned home, still curious about the dissonance between expecting to feel despair, yet feeling a glimpse of hope, I read experiences and accounts of camp survivors, one of which was Viktor Frankl's story in Man's Search For Meaning. Insights he shared in his book helped me understand how one maintains hope despite suffering, or more appropriately, how one gains hope because of one's sufferings. About his book, Frankl stated:
"I had wanted simply to convey to the reader by way of concrete example that life holds a potential meaning under any conditions, even the most miserable ones. And I thought that if the point were demonstrated in a situation as extreme as that in a concentration camp, my book might gain a hearing. I therefore felt responsible for writing down what I had gone through, for I thought it might be helpful to people who are prone to despair" (preface, p. XIV).
As one who is prone to despair (or as one who lacks hope) because of same-gender attractions, I'd like to share a few lessons I've learned from reading Viktor Frankl's book that help me cultivate hope and press forward.
The first lesson I learned is that, "man...can only live by looking to the future...and this is his salvation in the most difficult moments of his existence" (p. 73). The future presents many unknowns for me. It's a challenge to live as one who is uncertain about marriage and family in a culture where marriage and family is stressed over and over again; I am prone to despair because of this unknown.
Like me, Frankl experienced unknowns, such as the unknown prospect of restored freedom. During his camp experience, it was easy to focus on the minute-to-minute, hourly, and daily pains and sufferings. He writes,
"I kept thinking of the endless little problems of our miserable life. What would there be to eat tonight? If a piece of sausage came as extra ration, should I exchange it for a piece of bread? ...I became disgusted with the state of affairs which compelled me... to think of only such trivial things" (p. 73).
Like Frankl, it is excruciatingly difficult for me to look beyond the "little problems of [my] miserable life". I often wonder if God will ever liberate me from the pains I experience and if things will ever improve. Frankl, through his experiences, teaches me how to catch a glimpse of hope by looking through my current situation to the future:
"I forced my thoughts to another subject. Suddenly I saw myself standing on the platform of a well lit, warm and pleasant lecture room. In front of me sat an attentive audience on comfortable upholstered seats. I was giving a lecture on the psychology of the concentration camp! All that oppressed me at that moment became objective, seen and described from the remote viewpoint of science. By this method I succeeded somehow in rising above the situation, above the sufferings of the moment" (p. 73).
Thereof, I learned that looking to my future in a similar way produces hope. I think of a day, after all is said and done, when I will stand before a heavenly audience to share lessons learned from my mortal experience. When I view my challenges in this manner, I too rise above the sufferings of the moment. And sometimes I imagine days when I might sit with a close friend who is dealing with his own challenges and share important lessons learned from my own experiences and despair.
Secondly, because of the attractions I feel, I often think that life passed me by, that I was given the short end of the stick, and that I cannot become like other people because I am so different from them. Frankl noticed a similar mind set among camp prisoners, "most [prisoners]... believed that the real opportunities of life had passed. Yet, in reality, there was an opportunity and a challenge. One could make a victory of those experiences, turning life into an inner triumph, or one could ignore the challenge and simply vegetate, as did a majority of the prisoners" (p. 72). The choice is before me, and others like me, who are prone to despair: ignore the challenge and vegetate, or turn life into an inner triumph! I now understand my life as one that presents circumstances that allow me to rise up and triumph over pain, suffering, and affliction.
Viktor Frankl's book, Man's Search For Meaning, profoundly influenced my outlook on life, how I deal with my own personal challenges, and showed me how to find meaning and purpose because of my afflictions. Meaning and purpose of life, discovered in my trials, drives me to my knees in worshipful adoration of a God who is kind, who knows me and who loves me, and who helps me make sense of a difficult challenge. I no longer ask, "Why me? Why this?" Instead I ask, "What lessons can I learn? What potential meaning does life offer me? And how can I help others?" Furthermore, I am more driven to turn my life into an inner triumph.
This book is a must read for those who feel they might be in a state of vegetation, who are prone to despair, and wonder if there is hope and liberation from suffering. With Frankl, I attest to the "unexpected extent to which man is capable of defying and braving even the worst conditions conceivable" (p. 130) and that "suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning" (p. 113).
Articles selected as our monthly feature consist of submissions from the North Star community. Take a moment to find out how you can get involved by submitting a Feature Article.